Experience with Paypal buyers protection

[SwissTbone]

Hi I am looking for experiences with Paypal buyers protection. From the standpoint of a buyer and as a seller.

Here is my story:

Some weeks ago, I found an interesting horn on Facebook Marketplace. I contacted the seller, asked for some more precise pics and some videos. Got what I asked and bought the horn for 1500 USD. A fair price for him as well as for me.

After receiving the horn I found there were several issues that were not described and left out of all the photos and videos I received. Two of the issues make the horn practically unplayable and need repair. I contacted the seller and asked him a refund of 500 USD, the amount I would have to use for repair. Seller never answered so I had to activate Paypal buyers protection, I asked them to refund me 500 USD. Today I got an email from Paypal, they will refund me not only 500 USD, but 1500 USD!

Of course, that would be a great deal for me, but I have some problems with this: The horn, in the condition I got it, is not worth nothing, it is still worth maybe 800 – 1000 USD. Will they take legal procedures against the buyer to recover the 1500 USD? If yes, he will end up with nothing, and that really would not be fair!

Or is this just an insurance thing for Paypal and the seller will be able to keep the 1500 USD? Not fair either, but actually not of importance to me…

Any experiences with this?

[Matt K]

My experience is they'll fully undo the transaction. The other party has a chance to respond but often times they don't (from what I've been told by the person I talked to at PayPal). That's why the PayPal fee is so high though... it really is a good deal for the buyer. Seller... not so much but if you have all your proverbial ducks in a row it should be okay. You do have to pay attention to your paypal account though... they dont' e-mail any of it or at least didn't when I had to go through the procedure last year for something, so you're inclined to miss something (which may be why many don't respond).

[sungfw]

PayPal may require you to return the horn (at your expense):

PayPal Buyer Protection Program

5.2 5.2 Return of Item to Seller
When the Buyer files a claim for PayPal Buyer Protection because the item received significantly differs from the Seller’s item description, the Buyer is required upon request by PayPal to return the item at his own expenses to the Seller or to another person or address as requested by PayPal during the Claim process, as well as to provide appropriate proof of shipment. The proof of shipment needs to contain at least the details required in the PayPal Seller Protection Policy for a proof of shipment of the Seller. PayPal will not request such return if there is the reasonable suspicion that the return of the item would result in a violation of existing law. PayPal reserves the right to request further documentation from the Buyer to support the Claim. The Buyer has to bear any costs that may arise from this request.

[SwissTbone]

PayPal may require you to return the horn (at your expense):

They didn't.

[SwissTbone]

Seller... not so much but if you have all your proverbial ducks in a row it should be okay.

Yeah that's what I begin to think about it. You really have to be careful as a seller with paypal.

Meanwhile the seller accepted a compromise and I will refund him a fair amount once paypal sent me my money back.

[sungfw]

PayPal may require you to return the horn (at your expense):

They didn't.

Or haven't yet. Sometimes it can take a while for Paypal to get all its ducks lined up, so you may not be out of the woods yet. I've received return requests as much as two weeks after receiving notification that a refund would be issued.

[Matt K]

Yeah I've been involved in processes that took over two months to get fully resolved. :O

[Doug Elliott]

Keep all of your correspondence with the seller, so you can send it to PayPal in the event of any future disputes about it.

I don't have direct experience with PayPal this way, but it seems like a necessary precaution.

[LarryPrestonRoberson]

I had a similar situation, but through a sale at eBay. The monetary transaction was through PayPal. The seller never responded—damaged tuba. EBay would refund transaction, through PayPal, but only after return payment of said tuba.

[SwissTbone]

Hmmm hope they won't get back to me since we finally found a compromise. We'll see how that will end.

What seemed really strange to me was paypal simple decided based on my description of the case. They didn't ask for pics and didn't even bother to contact the seller.

[DutchGuy]

One experience: I bought something that didn't arrive through Groupon. After contact with Groupon and no solutions after 6 weeks, I made a claim through paypal. Groupon never responded, and I was given my money back eventually.